Machine for stamping and issuing tickets.



A. J. TANNER.

MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATIOLLIILED JULY 17,1313v 1 1 1 2O Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

5 SHEETS-5HEET 1.

mm u gm" FIGA. i =1 1 I l a ii E 2! -t[ i 1 n 1i i iii";

mum will!!! i 1. Mbnesses. In wen to)? A. J. TANNER.

MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND. ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1913v Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

5 SHBETS SHEET 2.

FIG.6.

RED HWHITEI BLUE HNKI RED WHH'E BLUE PINK Mtneases A. J. TANNER.

MACHINE FOR $TAMPING AND 135mm TICKETS,

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17.1913.

Patented M21112, 1915.

A. J. TANNBR.

MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND ISSUING TICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

5 SHEETSEHBET 4 FIG. 9.

Inventor U x bfg cbl Zinessea Q 1% A. J. TANNER. MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND ISSUING TICKETS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1913.

1 1 30, 1 20, Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

PLEASE DROP TICKET IN BOX III/Ill IIFi/I/I 56 v ll 1 A Witnesses vide a simple and ellicient apparatus .irsn srs rss in ress series.

ARNOLD JAMES TANNER, OF LQND 01v, ENGLAND.

BEAGEINE FOR STAMPING AN ISSUING TICKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateinted Ill-zit. 2, 1915.

Application. filed July 17, 1913, Serial No. 773,544.

services when the fare charged varies according to the distance traveled by the passengers.

The main object of the invention is to prowhereby the tickets can be quickly selected, stamped and delivered, and accordingly the apparatus is constructed of two main mem bers, one member being stationary and carrics the tickets in as many lots as required. The other member is movable and carries the required number of stamps or printing devices the position of which stamps relatively to the tickets can therefore be changed by operating the movable member. are capable of being separately actuated for the purpose oi printing or impressing the the ticket as it is value or other matter on issued. The stamps may be operated inde pendcntly or the operation of seizing a ticket is made to actuate the stamp associated'with the lotof tickets from which the ticket is to be taken. And also in one of the forms of the improved machine, the stamps are each capable of being turned onits axis so that the position of the type can be varied and thereby print a character or sign on the ticket in different positions.

The invention in several embodiments and various details of construction connected therewith will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete machine in one form; Figs 1 and l show portions-of the racks and engaging devices which pgevent the movable member from being moved in the wrong direction; Fig. 2 is a secti nal view of the complete machine; Figs. 3, l and 5 ,are detail views showing portions and one end of the movable memher; Fig. 6 illustr'stes diagrammatically the relative position of the stamps to the tickets The stamps in the two directions inwhich the car may travel; Fig. 7 is a sectional View illustrating another form of the machine; Fig. 8 is aplan view of movable member shown in the left hand position; Fig.9 is an 'endview of the last mentioned form of the machine, part of the movable mem'oer being broken away; Fig. 10 is a front elevation also of the same machine shown partly in section and partly brokenaway; Fig. 11 illustrates in section another form of the machine embodying all the essential features of the -.invention; Fig. 1 2 is ,a front elevation of this: latter machine shown partly in section and partly broken away; and Fig. 13 represents :a ticket useful in connection with certainforms of the improved machine.

In accordance with the invention the impro ed-apparatus consists of a stationary member or base portion 1 and a carriage 2 which slides on said portion, which latter member is preferably secured to a rail 3, fixed on the car platform. The carriage 2 has mounted thereon stamps 4., the number ofthese stamps being-according to the different values of the tickets, for example four stamps representing 1d. to 4d. are employed with a corresponding lot of tickets provided the same machine with the i c V in strips wound on reels To enable the operater to grasp the selected tichet, a-sliding plate 6, normally projecting outwardly, must be pushed inwardly, which movement operates the stanip, associated therewith, for

the purpose of printing the required character on the ticket. The aforesaid plate when released returns to its normal or outer position under action of the spring 7 and the printed ticket is then detached or severed from the strip at the. orificeB in the covered end 9 of the sliding plate 6.

The sliding movement of the carriage 2 is guided in suitable channels 10 provided in a top plate 11 of the base portion 1, and this plate is provided with racksi12 (oee Figs, 1? and 1 .on each side having ratchet'teeth arranged in opposite directions for the .pur- 1 I pose of allowing movement of the carriage in one direction only, which direction is gen-'- erally that in which the vehicle is traveling."

I the carriage in its intermediatepositions, a

locking deviation-devices l3 arejprovidedw The sliding carriage 2 -is arranged. ,to he 2d. tickets will be the 1d. tickets,

eration is repeated at the end of the next (see Fig. 3), each locking device consisting of a pin which engages a hole 1% in the said top plate, the arrangement being that when the carriage slides along the pin falls into the said holes, which engagement stops further movement of the carriage until a ring releasing device 15'is grasped to slide the carriage along. The pin 13 carried on a pivoted lever 16, is then raised out of its engaging position and when the pressure on the ring releasing device is relaxed, the spring 17 causes the pin 13 to fall into the next recess as the carriage slides along.

The stamps l are in the form of plungers and are capable of being turned so as to alter the position of the type head 18 relatively to the ticket thereby the character or sign is printed on the ticket in different positions and for the purpose of setting the positions of these stamp heads a shaft 19 having op erating knob 20 at one end is rotated and by means of worms 19 onsaid shaft, or other power transmission devices, all the stamps may be turned simultaneously.

In the case Where the number of stamps equals the number of lots of tickets, the movable member or carriage having the stamps mounted thereon, is set at the cd'mmencement of journey so that the 1d.'stamp is immediately over the first lot of tickets 'and the 4d. stamp over the last lot, each lot of tickets then representing a stage of the journey. At the completion of the first stage of the journey, the carriage is moved along one step, then the tickets for the first stage are no longer in use and the 4d. stamp is also tli'rown out of use; the tickets which were previously 4d. then become the 3d. and the The opstage until the end of the journey is reached. When the car is reversed to travel in a different direction, at the commencementof this journey, the sliding carriage 2 is removed bodily from the apparatus and reversed, end for end, and then replaced in such a position that the stamps are correctly located relatively to the tickets. The carriage now capable of moving in an opposite direction to that allowed in the previous setting. The devices for permitting this movement are clearly shown in Figs. 1* and 1", and consist of the racks '12 rovided on the base portion at each side oi the carriage. The carr .ge is provided with one or more spring detents 21 but only on one side thereof, the arrangement being as shown in Fig. 1*. In this instance the movement of the carriage is oiily permitted in a left handed direction, butwhen the carriage is reversed the detents 21 engage the teeth on the other side and then as shown in Fig. 1 the travel of the carriage can only be in a right handed direction. The end detent 21 is connected with a registering device 22 so that when able hearings in said walls by means of'a;

spring 24 to permit replacing of the reels. The ticket passes through an orifice 25 in a fixed plate located beneath the sliding plate 6, which plate 6 is cut away at 27 to allow the head 18 of the stamp to pass through.

and print the required matter on the ticket,

which printing operation is effected by the downward movement oi the plungers {P'of the stamp 4. The plunger is caused to move downwardly by means of an inwardly proj ecting forked compression device 28 carried by the sliding plate 6, the arrangement being that when the slidingplate is pushed inwardly, the inclined surfaces of the forked ends of the compression device engage rollers 29 carried at each-side of the sleeve 30, which sleeve forms part of the plunger.

The sliding plate 6 is returned to its normal or outer position by means of the spring 7 placed around the stud 7 which stud serves as a stop tolimit the outward movement of the plate. In the normal or outer position of the plate, the end of the ticket strip is not exposed being just in line with a. cutting edge of the orifice 8 in the fin or plate or cover at the outer end of the sliding plate. To seize a ticket the operator must push the plate inwardly to its fullest extent and this operation causes the plunger to move downwardly and print the ticket. The

ticket strip remains stationary so that when the covered end of the plate is pushed away I from the end of the strip a grip can be obtained on' the end of the strip and the oper ation of the plate 6 releases a spring detent' 31 carried on the said plate, the detent being lifted out of a perforation in the ticket strip, which perforation isone of a series of perforations that determine. the length of each ticket. There is a tendency of the plate to return'to its normal-position under the action of the controlling spring; therefore when the operator releases the plate, after having withdrawn the ticket, the plate returns to its normal or outerposition and the detent 31 again comes intoe'ontact withjhe strip and when the next perforation is reached the strip is held and theticket projecting beyond the strip can then besevered at the-cutting edge provided at the end of the plate, which plate is then in its-extreme outer position.

The plunger of each stamp 4: is capable of tail amount of the valuation of the tickets stamped with any one of the stamps. Instead of adding the operation of each stamp separately a total adding device of a known kind may be employed and it is to be understood the registering devices are carried under cover such as locked casing 37 of the carriage 2.

With the improved apparatus any number of stamps may be employed and these stamps can. be turned simultaneously by means of the shaft 19and the'worm 19 the latter engaging a, gear wheel 19 carried on the plunger. be turned separately by means of knob 39 secured at the upperextremity thereof. The plunger together with the-sleeve 30 moves vertically and. the return movement to the raised position is effected by means of the coiled spring 40 placed around the sleeve 36.

The base portion of the apparatus is provided with upwardly extending supports 41 on which the racks 112 are secured and the bottom plate 42 of the sliding carriage is provided with a dove-tail channel 10 which receives correspondingly shaped formed at the sides of-the racks,- The car; riage as previously stated movesalong the channel. 10 and thedetcuts 21 engage the racks as hcreinbefore explained; by this means the carriage isalso prevented from running too freely. The purpose of provid ing double and ratchettoothed racks, the teeth being arranged in opposite directions, is to prevent the operator from moving the carriage to and fro and thereby surreptitiously deliver afalse ticket in lieu of one for the correct and higher value. The locking devices render it impossible for the perator to move the carriage backward, and if he should take the carriage out entirely and thenstart again at the commencement, the end detent 21 will have dropped to its fullest extent under action of a spring 43 and then the .finger 44 is dropped down and a ratchet wheel 45, connected to counting mechanism, is moved one notch and there lay-{each ,operation of changing the carriage over is registered. It will be understood that when the operator has setthe carriage for a journeythe carriage must be moved forward full lengthand at the end of The plungers may, however,

slides the travel of the carriage the said registering device is actuated and each count on the register will then represent one journey of the car.

The carriage is held in its intermediate positions as before stated by the stop pin 13,

there preferably being two of such pins, one

ratus to be detachablv secured to the rail 3.

A. single inking ribbon 48 serves for all the stampsand this ribbon is wound on drums in the usual manner, and the delivering drum may be rotated by hand to rewind the ribbon thereon, the winding drum being rotated to wind the ribbon thereon at each operation of any one of the stamps. The means for operating the winding drum consist of a. shaft 49 having mounted thereon toothed wheels 50 which are engaged by fingers 51, the latter being carried by the sliding plates hind arranged so that when any one of the said plates is pushed inwardly the wheel 50 then engaged advances one tooth and accordingly through the medium of suitable gearing, the ribbon is wound on the drum in a well known manner.

-In another form of the improved apparatus the main features of the above described costruction are employed, but various modifications are made in the details with the object of providing a simpler and cheaper form of apparatus which for some purposes is equally as eflicient as the other construction hereinbefore described. In this embodiment, illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and -10 of the drawings, the stationary member 1 is composed of a number of units or cases each carrying a ticket reel and each unit has its own sliding plate 6. The units are segured to a back plate which is provided at the ends with clamps 47 for securing the apparatus to the rail 3. A spring detent 31 ,or checking device is associated with each sliding plate and this detent constantly bears on the ticket strip and engages the perforations in the same and at each engagement the travel of the strip 15 mo lnentarily checked. Or if desired the form of detent previously described may be employed and this detent would be raised-by the operation of the sliding plate 6. The side walls of the ticket units are extended upwardly above the sliding plates and these extensions are cut away to provide {thannel for the carriage; The carriage is provided with the base piece 42 having its sides dove-tailed to fit in the said channel. Stamps tare carried by the carriage as in the previous instance but the plungers are differently constructed for in the present instance they are not capable of turning, their only movement being vertical under control of the spring 40, but these plungers are actuatedby a compression device '28 as previ ously described. Hollow vertical extensions or-pillars 53 rising upwardly from the.carriage base guide the plunger and inclose the controlling spring 40. The pillars 53 at their upper ends support a box 54 containing the counting and recording mechanism.

as previously described. A pin 55 passes through the plunger, projecting at each end, and passes through elon ated slots 55 in the sides of the pillars, an at eachend of the pin a roller 29 is carried on the exterior of t e the inclined surfaces of the compressor 28, which is also forked so as to clear the pillar when the sliding plate is pushed inwardly, which operation, as in the previous instance, forces the plunger downwardly to print the required character on tlieticket'. In the present embodiment the toothed racks are dispensed with and the means for locking the carriage in its intermediate positions consist of recesses or holes 14 on each side of the base plate 42 of the carriage. Detents consisting of spring pins 13 are provided with a head capable of being grasped by the operator or as shown these detent devices may be self-acting. These devices, or only one when the carriage has been moved a certain distance in one direction, engage the holes 14 in the base plate of the carriage and thus lock the carriage .in its intermediate positions. The ribbon feeding mech anism and counting and recording devices are arranged and operated practically the same as in the other form of the machine previously described.

Referring now to Figs. 11 and 12 wherein a modified form of the apparatus is shown. In this construction the ticket reels are carried at the top of the apparatasand which reels are-held in place by spring bearlugs 24. The strip is constantly engaged by the spring checking device 31 which is pro vided with a rolling ball 31 at the end so as to prevent the ticket from tearing and also this ball fits closely in the perforation which is for convenience in manufacture preferably round in shape. The ticket strip is fed under the ribbon l8 and a plate 56 covers the ribbon, which plate is provided with an opening through which the head. 18

of the plunger can pass so as to come into contact-with the ribbon and ticket, The ticket strip passes through the orifice 8 in the cover; 9 attire end of the sliding plate pillar and these rollers are engaged by b a gravity pawl 58 carried on the sliding p ate 6 and in thiseonsftruction the inking ribbon is in the form of an endless belt which is caused to travel around the drums 59 sup ported by brackets 60, these brackets being secured to the base portion. A plate 61 covers the ribbon to prevent dust and damp: ness from affecting the same. 'In this resent construction the printing of the ticket is also effected by the operation of the sliding plate6 but the mechanism is modified so as to provide a construction which will operate with less friction than the previous one. The operating mechanism consists of a pivoted lever 62 fulcrumed on the shaft 63 extending through the length of the apparatus-so that. the same shaft serves ,for a number of such; levers. The location of-the 6, this covered portion being preferably v fulcrum point is in accordance to the throw I plate 66 of the base portion 1. The extremi ties of the said arms pass through the holes 67 in the sliding plate 6, this arrangement uniting the lever and the plate together so that when the latter is pushed inwardly for the purpose. of enabling the operator to grasp the end of the ticket strip, the lever 62 is tilted and forces down theplunger which 1 oll ects the printing of the ticketnexlr to be withdrawn. When the pressure on the said plate is relaxed the spring 7 associated with the sliding plate returns the latter to its outer or normal position and the lever is brought back to its raised position and the tact with the ticket strip.

Each operation of any one of the plungers is registered by means of counting mecha-' nism and in this present embodiment the mechanism for operating the registering device consists of a loose collar 68 carried on the plunger 4;. the extentof the upward movement of the said collar being limited by the pin 69. A link 70 fixed on the shaft of the counting mechanism is connected to the said collar so that when the plunger is forced downwardly the link makes a partial turn sufiicient to register the stroke of the plunger, and as the counting device works on a ratchet, the link is free to return to its upper position under action of the spring,

ioo

40. In this modification-three stamps 4 are 30 sity of punching the tickets, which opera- Lane and Tottenham Court Road.

character provided on the printing head can be set in different positions so that the pointer 71, shown on the representation of a ticket in Fig. 13, will point to a particular named stage point. As this ticket is marked there are two main points, Liverpool street and Oxford Circus, the intermediate stations being the' Bank, Chancery In one direction of the car, the journey would, for example, commence at Liverpool street and the first stop or intermediate station would be the Bank. If it is desired to indicate that the passenger boarded the car at the Bank the pointers of all the tickets, 1d., 2d. and 3d; as the case may he, would all point to this station, and when the car reaches the next point, Chancery Lane, the indicator of all the stamps would be turned to this station. In operation it may, however, be preferable to indicate the point to which the fare is, paid and in this case, as represented by the ticket, the pegsenger would have boarded the car at the "intermediate station before Oxford Circus, stamps at these intermediate stages is to take The object of this setting of the care of journeys which overlap main stage "points thereby a more exact check of the fares can be obtained without the necestion 6f punching necessitates further labor and careful attention of the conductor, all

tending to delay the handling of passengers, particularly with a prepayment system of fare collection. The particular means by which the stamps are turned in'this present construction consists'of the bushing 72 having a shoulder 73. Gear wheels 74 turn on the outside of the bushing and 2. depending part 75 secured to the gear wheel is provided with a. squared hole to receive the squared endof the plunger 4 By means of this device when the knob 20 is partially turned, the worm on the shaft engaging the gear wheel 74 causes the latter to also partially turn and the depending part 75 secured to the gear wheel in turn causes the plunger and printing head 18 to also partially turn. The movement of the plunger in a vertical direction is not interfered with by this power transmission device. When the carriage is reversed over end for end for a new journey of the car, the position of the plunger and the printing head relatively to the tickets is reversed so that the pointer 71 points toward the bottom of the ticket instead of the top as shown, and for this reason the names of the intermediate stations are in duplicate.

Referring to Fig. 6, the most advantageous use of the improved apparatus is in connection with prepayment syst ms of fare collection in which the tickets used bear differentiating characteristics, for example,

reached. wOuld no longer be in use, consequently the conductor would make use of the ordinary various colors, red, white, blue, and pink, the fares from 1d. to 4d. Now aid. is the maximum fare in either direction, thereforechecking of these tickets is not re quired so it is proposed to let the conductor have separate. ordinary 4d. tickets. The tickets ior the or journey inone direction would be pink and for the return journey 4d. ticke' uld be. red. By means of the ordinary ti rots the working of the improved apparatus is more applicable when the. intermediate stage points are considercd. For example, a passenger getting in at the commencement of the journey paying a 1d. fare would get a red ticket with a pointer pointing toward the numeral 4, which latter numeral together with others of the kind, arc-already printed on the tickets. The pointer on the other tickets would also point to No. 4. When the car has reached the first stage represented by the numeral 1, the carriage is pushed forward one notch in the direction in which thecar is traveling. Then a passenger paying a 1d. fare would receive a white ticket with the numeral 1 printed thereon, and for a 2d. 'fare the passengcr would receive a blue ticket and for 3d. a pink ticket and on each of which tickets the pointer would point to the nu meral 1. When the car reaches point 2 the stamps are all turned so that the pointer indicates the numeral 2 on all the tickets issued and so on up to when the point 4. is lifter the first stage the 4d. stamp 4d. tickets. \Vhen the next main stage is reached the-carriage is again moved forward and the 3d. stamp will then be no longer in'use and this change is repeated until the journey ends. On the return jourmy the carriage is removed from the apparatus and reversed end for end so that the id. stamp would be over the pink ticket and the 4d. over the red.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 only three stamps are employed, and in this example fares 1d. 2d. and 3d. are charged. Further in this particular instance the route may be divided into three blocks, one block representing the distance between the two main stages, and each block is then sub-divided into three divisions making in all thirteen stagcpoints, and for this purose the turning nrintins' head is em lo ed l a O to indicate the different points. In a more simple system where there are no intermediate stages, for example the fare for a jourusually charged, it is only necessary that one stamp be employed for a system having fare values 1d. Qd. and 3d, for in this case the fixed value of each ticket would he 1d.

and in the previous instance the 3d.

tickets could be ordinary tickets. The stamp would be valued at 2d. and the positionof this stamp relatively to any one of the lots of tickets can be changed as required so that the tickets of any one of the three lots could be stamped with the 2d. stamp and thereby the ticket would be surcharged and which surcharging would be checked by the regof a turning type head for each stamp whereby any stamp-can be setto print a vcharacter or sign in'difi'erent positions on a ticket.

3. In an apparatus for stamping and is suing tickets, a stationary base containing a plurality of lots of tickets and supporting a sliding carriage having mounted thereon a plurality of separately actuatable stamps and a member so associated with eachlot of tickets that such member must be operated to issue a ticket and which operation of said member actuates the stamp associated with v the respective lot of tickets.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a stationary base portion carrying a. plurality of reels of tickets, a sliding plate provided for each reel, a plurality of separately actuatable stamps mounted on a carriage capable of .being' moved intermittently on said base portion thereby permitting the position of said stamps to be changed relatively to the ticket reels and which stamps are associated with the slidingplates so that upon the operation of a selected plate the her is prevented from traveling in a reverse direction without being re-set, and a device for counting and registering each setting of the movable member.

6. In an apparatus for stamping and issuing tickets, a stationary base containing a plurality of lots of tickets and sup 'orting a sliding carriage having mounted hereon a plurality of separately actuatable stamps and each stamp having a vertically moving plunger operated by means of a sliding plate provided with each lot of tickets.

7. In an apparatus for stamping and is suing tickets, a stationary base containing a plurality of lots pf tickets,'and supporting a sliding carriage having mounted thereon a. plurality of separately actuatable stamps, each stamp having a vertically moving .plunger and a device connected with the plunger for counting and registering each stamp associated with that plate is actuated to print the selected ticket.

5. An apparatus for stamping andi'ssuing tickets having a base portion arranged to carry av plurality of lots of tickets separately and supporting a movable member carrying one or more stamps, a self-acting checking device wherebv the movable memoperation thereof.

8. An apparatus of the kind described having a base portion arranged to carry a plurality 01 lots of tickets separately, one or more stamps movably supported'on said base portion so as to permit changing of the position of the stamp or stampsrelatively to the lots of tickets, each stamp having-a vertically moving plunger capable of being turned on its'vertical axis, and power transmission means whereby the posltlon of the type'heads of all the plungers can be turned simultaneously.

9. An apparatus for stamping and issuing tickets havingia base portion arranged to carry -a plurality of lots of tickets separately' and supporting a movable member carrying one or more stamps, each stamp having a plunger-capable of moving vertically and carrying a type head at the lower end thereof, a single inking ribbon provided for the stamp or stamps; a sliding member associated with each stampand means whereby the operation of any one of the sliding members to seize a ticket actuates the plunger associated therewith to print a ticket and efiects the feeding of the inking ribbon. 4

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARNOLD JAMES TANNER. Witnesses:

LEONARD S. P0000 1, Bor Kmc. 

